Board Meeting Update #101

Board Meeting Update #101, November 18, 2013

This update provides a summary of the meeting of Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board held Monday, November 18, 2013 at the Education Centre. It is an unofficial summary of the meeting; official minutes will be approved at the next meeting in January 2014.
Presentation by +VG Architects
Superintendent of Business Leslie Miller introduced Paul Sapounzi, Partner in Charge, +VG Architects. Mr. Sapounzi presented ceremonial keys to the Chair of the Board and principals of the two new schools: Suzanne Cholasta of Stirling Public School and Susan Carleton-Maines of Tweed Elementary School.

Performance by the Stirling Public School Choir
Superintendent of Education June Rogers introduced the Stirling Public School. The choir performed two songs, accompanied by Teacher Janet Bush.

Recommendations

2012-2013 Financial Statements and Auditor’s Report
Board members approved the audited financial statements for the 2012-2013 fiscal year. The Audit Committee is responsible for reviewing the financial statements and the results of the external audit and to recommend, if appropriate, that the Board approve the audited financial statements.

During the year the board expended $24,996,734 on capital asset acquisition/construction. These expenditures are funded through a variety of sources including Full-day Kindergarten and capital priorities grants. In addition, the audited financial statements result in an in-year surplus of $2,269,724 as compared to the budget projection.

Naming of Quinte Secondary School Gym
Board members approved a recommendation to name the gym at Quinte Secondary School the Rick Locke Gymnasium.

As a teacher Mr. Locke quickly became an educational leader at Quinte Secondary School. He served many years as a department leader and was instrumental in providing Quinte students with their first ever kinesiology course. He did this at Quinte for his entire professional career until his retirement from the Hastings Prince Edward District School Board in 1997.

Mr. Locke provided thousands of hours of his own time to coach at QSS ensuring that students at Quinte had the same opportunities that he had through involvement in sport. Mr. Locke coached many different sports at Quinte, including football and men’s and women’s basketball. Most importantly, for 30 years he taught success through character building and the core values that make an athlete better on the court and more importantly in life.

Upon retirement Mr. Locke continued to find ways to stay connected with high-school life, sports, and Quinte Secondary School by refereeing and being a basketball and football official for many Bay of Quinte athletic contests. He never stopped instilling those positive core values that align so well with our board’s character attributes. Mr. Locke is known as Mr. Quinte and is one of Quinte Secondary
School’s most prolific alumni.

Textbook/novel approval
Board members approved a list of textbooks and novels for use in secondary schools.

Trustee representation on committees
A priority of Board members is to form committees at the earliest opportunity in order to maintain continuity of direction. This evening Board members were provided with a list of their committee preferences to review in advance of the initial meeting scheduled for December 2, 2013, when trustee membership on Board committees will be confirmed.

Information

Calendar of events
A number of district and school events are scheduled for the remainder of November and December 2013.

Upcoming events include the following:

November 18 to 22: Bullying Awareness & Prevention Week, events and activities happening at each school.

Final report of the Ad Hoc Governance Committee
A final report was provided by the Ad Hoc Governance Committee with regard to its review of issues related to governance. The report addresses 13 recommendations made by the Canadian School Boards’ Association, through its document called School Boards Matter, 2013.

Notice of Motion: 2013-2014 Board policy review
The Executive Committee gave notice that it will move the following motion at the January 27, 2014 Board meeting:

That Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board approve amendments to the following board policies as outlined in appendices B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I and J, as contained in Board Report C-3, dated November 18, 2013:

Board Policy No. 1 Board Mission and Goals

Board Policy No. 2 Governance By-laws and Standing Rules

Board Policy No. 3-A Delegations and Presentations

Board Policy No. 3 Form 003-1 Request for Delegation

Board Policy No. 3-D Board Communications and Media Relations

Board Policy No. 3-I Indemnification of Board Members

Board Policy No. 4 Corporate Board Job Description

Board Policy No. 11-D Executive Committee

Board Policy No. 12 External Committees and Trustee Advocacy

Report from the Operations and Finance Committee
Highlights from this report included the following:

Review of the process that will be followed to update the long-term capital plan.

Report from the Program and Human Resources Committee
Highlights from this report included the following:

Details about the school climate surveys.

Presentation on the learning fairs related to the Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievement.

Discussion about the books and novels recommended for secondary schools.

Reports from Staff
Board Improvement Plan for Student Success
Superintendent of Education Cathy Portt presented the draft plan that has been developed for 2014. The Board Improvement Plan for Student Success (BIPSA) follows a calendar year rather than a typical school year. The BIPSA is aligned with the overall AiM System Plan. The BIPSA describes classroom conditions for student learning; instructional and assessment practices; and the overall focus on collaborative professional learning in order for all staff to learn from each other’s successes and draw on the expertise of colleagues.

Reports from Student Trustees
Highlights from this report included the following:

Summaries of Remembrance Day ceremonies hosted at schools throughout the district.

Attendance at the annual conference of the Ontario Student Trustees’ Association featuring keynote speakers and break-out sessions for all students trustees in the province.

Upcoming meetings

All meetings take place at the Education Centre unless otherwise noted.